Quinn’s dispute with union back to arbitration

A dispute between Gov. Pat Quinn and a union over raises is going back to arbitration under a judge’s ruling.

Quinn has refused to pay most of the wage increases for fiscal year 2012 that he agreed to in a contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

The governor argues the legislature didn’t appropriate sufficient funding to cover the raises, so he can’t pay them. But the union contends that sufficient funding was made available.

Judge Richard Billik Jr. sided with some of the administration’s arguments, including that Quinn can’t spend money that hasn’t been appropriated even if bound by a contract. But the judge says the administration must prove that it lacked the funds, and he ordered the matter sent back to an arbitrator.